This study aims to predict the powder flow behavior in the context of nuclear fuel fabrication. This issue is common to many industrial fields because poor powder flow can lead to process problems such as pipe clogging, reduced rates, or the presence of heterogeneities in the final product. The first objective of this PhD thesis is, on the one hand, to provide a more accurate description of the powder agglomerates and, on the other hand, to characterize their surface. Based on these surface and structural data of UO2 powder particles, the second objective of this work is to achieve a better understanding of the agglomeration/desagglomeration properties in order to correlate them with the flow properties.
The future PhD student will need to use and develop experimental methods (particle characterization tools, surface characterization analyzers, phenomenological modeling) at the IRESNE institute (CEA-Cadarache) in the fuel study department (DEC), specifically within a team dedicated to experiments on nuclear fuel.
This study, applied to UO2 powders, has a generic nature because it is suitable for the study of all granular media. At the end of the PhD, the doctoral candidate will communicate the results through publications and conference presentations. An expertise in granular media will be acquired, which is an attractive and valuable skill in many industrial fields such as agri-food, pharmaceutical industries, metallurgy, or building materials.